Agitating device for the inking fountains of printing presses



Dec. 8, 1931. QRTLEB 1,835,325

AGITATING DEVICE .FOR THE INKING FOUNTAIN OF PRINTING PRESSES Filed Feb. 18, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 8, 1931. B ORTLEB 1,835,325

AGITATING DEVICE FOR THE INKING FOUNTAIN OF PRINTING PRESSES Filed Feb. 18, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet v2 lv t .L

Patented Dec. 8, 1931 noueLAs B. o ner, or sir. LoUIs MIssonRI AGITATING 'nnvrcn FOR. THE iivxriverouirrnriis or :enrir'riiverimssns Application filed February'l8g-l929 i Serial No. 340, 81.;

' This invention relates to an agitating devicehaving a part for cooperation with the inking fountain of aprinting press, the primary object of the invention beingto provide an improved device which is simple in its construction and efficient in its operation.

Another object of the invention isin'providing an agitating device having ink stirring parts which maintain relatively short jerky strokes throughout their stirring operations. A further object ofthe invention is in pro-v viding animproved agitating device for an inking fountain of a printing; pressin which means are provided foroperating the stirring parts ofthe agitator in strokesofshort frequenciesor length throughout the length of the ink body inthe fountain. a I 1A stillfurther object of the invention is in providing the'agitating device with improved operating means which are cooperablewith an operating part of the printing press. '1 Other-and further objects will appear in the specification and be, specifically pointed out in,the-appended claimsyreference being hadin the accompanying drawings, exeme plifying the invention and in which:;:: 1 Figure 1 is. arear view of a portion ofia printing press having anintermediate portion broken away and showing this improved agitating device. 'cooperably' fixed to the press. Figure 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1.. Figure 8 is a plan view of Figs. 1 and 2; 1

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentarytransverse vertical section taken approximately onthe line IVIV of Fig. 3. 1

t Figure 5 is an enlarged longitudinal vertical section taken. approximately on the line VVof Fig.3. p v i Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings 1 designates the side frames of a printing press having the transverse structure 2 therebetween and disposed between the frames 1 is an inking fountain 3 and .dis- 5 posed lengthwise of said fountain and forming one side thereof is a fountain roller 4:. The fountain 3 is provided with an inclining bottom wall 5 which is disposed on one side of the fountain and forms theother side'of the fountain, the lower end of the bottomwall 5 being. disposed in. close proximity tothe periphery :of the fountain roller L4 onits lower side as shown in Figs. 2 and 4; '1 v M s A shaft 6 is provided for the support-of the fountain roller 4, the bearingsfor said shaft being provided by the sideframes 1 of the :press, and mounted on; one end of said lever 10 to swing on the shaft 6 and the pawl 8 .carried by. the-rock lever will intermittently engage the teeth of the ratchet wheel-and provide intermittent rotary motion to the fountain roller 4. 1 v I The fountain-3 is provided with end'walls 12 and secured 011 one of said walls by the cap screws 13 isa bracket portion '14 of abase member 15, said bracket portion supporting the base member ,in a depended position rear: wardly .of the fountain. A cover portion 16 ismounted .on' the. base member '15 5311C]. held thereon by underengaging cap screws 17 and formed in the top 18 of the cover portion 16 issa longitudinally extending guideway 19 having .a longitudinally extending slot 20 formedthereinb l r Y -A flat sided bar21- is supported at one end in-the guideway 19, said bar being horizontally disposed and supported at its opposite end, in a'bracket 22, and mounted in said bar at the end which isengaged in the guideway 19 is a vertically disposed pin 23,. said pin being engaged in the slot 20 of the cover portion 16 and secured to the lowerend of said pin beneath the top .18 of the cover portion is an inverted channel member '24, said'channel member being transversely dis posed with respect to the top 18.

Disposed in the base member 15 are a pair of vertical shafts 25 and 26 and mounted inside of the cover portion 16 isa sprocket 27, said sprockets being horizontally disposed and mounted over said sprockets is an endless chain belt 28. The shafts 25 and 26 are supported in respective bearings 29 which are depended from the underside of the base member 15.

The sprockets 27 and chain belt 28 thereon are horizontally disposed and secured to said chain belt and extending upwardly therefrom is a pin 30 and mounted onsaid pin is a roller 31, said roller and pin being engaged in the channel member 24 which is depended from the bar 21.

Adjustably mounted on the bar21 is a plurality of adjustable shoes 32 and adjustably extended from each shoe is a stirring or agitating blade 33 which extends into the fountain 3 in a manner wherein the lower edge of each blade will be engaged in approximate scrapping contact with the inclined bottom wall 5 of the fountain, said blades being of a length so as to extend into close proximity with the fountain'roller 4.

The depending end of the shaft 26 of one of the sprockets 27 is connected to a drive shaft 34 by the universal or flexible joint 35, the lower end of said shaft being connected by the flexible joint 36 to a short shaft 37 of a worm wheel 38 which is mounted in the gear box 39, said worm wheel being in mesh with the worm gear or screw 40 which is also mounted in the gear box-39, said worm wheel 38 and worm'gear 40 comprising a reduction gearing. The shaft of the worm gear 40 extends from one side of the gear box 39 and keyed to theextending end of said shaft is a sprocket 41 and cooperable with said sprocket is an endless chain belt 42 which extends to and is geared with an operating part of the printing press.

As shown in Fig. 3 a removable division plate or end wall 43 is provided for dividing or shortenng the length of the ink body to be contained in the fountain, this being some times a requirement in color printing and at timeswhen it is desired to contain the ink body in the fountain intermediate of the fountain length, two spaced divisional walls are required, said wall being clamped in position in the fountain.

In the operation of a printing press hav ing ths improved agitating device attached thereto, when the press is put in motion, the pitman 11 will be reciprocated from an operating part of the press in which the fountain roller 4 will be intermittently revolved and a portion of the periphery of said roller will always be in contact with the ink body 44 in the fountain. The chain belt 42 will also be put in motion by an operating part of the press and in consequence the worm gear 40 will actuate the worm wheel 38 thereby revolving the shaft 34 and the sprocket 27 which is secured to the shaft 26 in the base member 15.

The revolving of the sprocket 27 of the shaft 26 will cause the chain belt 28 to be travelled around said sprocket and the idler sprocket 27 and as the pin 30 and roller 31 are projected into the inverted channel member 24, said channel member will be reciprocated longitudinally in the cover portion 16 of the base member 15 and the pin 23 which supports the channel member 24 from the bar 21 will traverse the longitudinal slot 20 which is formed in the top 18 of the cover portion 16. As the stirring or agitating blades 33 are carried by the bar 21 in spaced relation, said blades will be moved back and forward in the ink body which is disposed in the fountain between the left hand end wall 12 of the fountain and the division wall 43 as the bar 21 is reciprocated by the channel member 24.

By reason of the chain belt'28 being relatively short in length, of a consequence the reciprocatory sliding travel of the bar 21 will be relatively short on account of the distance of travel of the pin 30 being controlled by the length of the chain belt 28, and as the sprockets 27 are relatively small in diameter, the travelling motion applied to the stirring blades 33 will be relatively short and consequently erky and a pulsating effect upon the ink body 44 will be created and in which the ink body will wall up or mount against the inwardly extending ends of the agitating blades and will be forced upwardly against the periphery of the fountain roller 4 as designated at 45. i

This short and somewhat jerky travelling motion of the agitating blades upon the ink body 44, will not only force the ink against the periphery of the fountain roller, but will continually apply a distributing movement to the ink bodyrather than stir the ink body, all of which is preferable when carried out by a relatively slow motion of the agitatin blades and in which hardening of the in:

body will be prevented, said short agitating motions of the blades however not being great enough to too thoroughly stir the ink so as to cause the ink to give off certain of its constituent parts which would in this event be detrimental to the quality of the ink body.

In the event the entire inking fountain length is to be used for containing an ink body, the divisional plates 43 are removed and additional agitating blades are mounted in spaced relation on the bar 21, as said bar should in all cases be the approximate length of the inking fountain in order to permit a full compliment of blades so that the entire ink body length can be at all times kept in an agitating or pulsating state.

Owing to the fact that it is required that the stirring blades 33 move relatively slow, it is found that it is frequently necessary to use a reduction gearing such as that shown at lei) 38 and 40 in the gear box 39, for reducing the speed ratio between the part (not shown) with which the endless chain belt 42 is cooperable and the endless chain belt 28 contained in the cover portion 16.

What I claim is 1. A. printing press having an inking fountain, an agitating element extended into'sa'id fountain, a relatively short horizontally disposed chain belt for imparting a relatively short reciprocatory travelling motion to said element, geared means cooperable with said chain belt, and flexible driving means cooperablewith an operating part of the printing press and said geared means. V

2. An agitating device for an inking fountaincomprising an agitating element extended into the fountain,-means for providing a relatively short reciprocatory travelling motion to said element, and flexible driving means cooperable with said other means.

3. An agitating device for an inking fountain comprising a slidable bar disposed lengthwise of the fountain, an agitating fingcr'secured to said bar and extended into said fountain, a short horizontally travelling chain belt having slidable connection with said bar, and driving means for said chain belt.

4-. An agitating device for an inking fountain comprising a slidable. bar disposed lengthwise of the fountain, a plurality of agitating fingers secured to said bar and extended. into said fountain, a horizontally disposed short travelling belt beneath said bar bearing a projecting element having transverse'slidable connection with said bar, and driving means for said belt.

5. An agitating device for an inking fountain comprising a slidable bar disposed lengthwise of the fountain, an agitating finger secured to said bar and extended into said fountain, a guideway for supporting one end of said bar, a transverse channel membercarried by said bar beneath said guideway, a short length chain belt horizontally disposed beneath said guideway having a projection in slidable engagement with said channel member, and driving means for said chain belt.

6. A printing press having an inking fountain, an agitating element extending into said fountain, means for providing a relatively short reciprocatory travelling movement to said element, and flexible driving means cooperably connected with said other means and with an operating part of the printing press.

7 A printing press having an inking fountain, a slidable bar disposed lengthwise of said fountain, an agitating finger secured to said bar and extended into said fountain, means for providing a relatively short reciprocatory travelling movement to said bar, and flexible driving means cooperably connected with said other means and with an operating part of the printing press.

8. A printing press having an inking founain, an agitatingelement extended into said gearing.

DOUGLAS B. ORTLEB. 

